Washer-drive mechanism



Nov. 2 1926.

2 Sheetseat 1 A. R. CURTIS WASHER DRIVE MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12 1921 Nov. 2 1926.

. 1,605,515 A. R. CURTIS WASHER DRIVE MECHANI SM Fi ied Sept. 12. 1921 2 Sheet sSheet 2 Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNETED STATES @FFEQE.

ARTHUR R. CURTIS, OF CLEVELAITD, OHIO.

WASHER-DRIVE MECHANISM.

Application filed September 12, 1921. Serial No. 500,035.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a driving mechanism which is simple in construction,compact and rugged, and which reverses the direction of drive smoothly and without shock.

Further the invention aims to provide mechanism of this character wherein the driving and reversing is accomplished with relatively small and relatively high speed spur pinions.

Further the invention aims to provide a construction through which a smooth reverse is obtained without shock and without producing a jerky action either in the driving and reversing gears or in the main driving member, irrespective of whether the driven member is operating with or without load.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved control mechanism including manually operable starting and stopping control members, preferably in the form of push buttons which operate on or cause a shifting of the driving and reversing pinions to start and stop the operation of the mechanism.

Still further objects will appear from the following description of the herein illustrated embodiment of the invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and ar rangements of parts, and details of construction which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings which show an embodiment which operates with high etiiciency, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the mechanism, parts being shown in elevation, the section being taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 2 1s a view looklng toward the left of Fig: 1, with the lower portion in section through the reversing mechanism; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4c is a horizontal sectional view substantially along the line 4-& of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 6 is a sectional View substantially along the irregular line 66 of Fig. 1; and Fig. '2' is a detail sectional view substantially along the line 7 of Fig, 2.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents the driven shaft, which for example, may be utilized to turn first in one direction and then the other a cylinder of a washing machine, a portion of the cylinder being indicated'at 11 in Fig. 1, a cylinder of this kind usually being enclosed in a stationary tub, a portion of which is indicated at 12. The driven shaft 10 is rotated alternately in opposite directions by a motor 13 having a driving pinion 1 1 which rotates relatively large gear 15 which is mounted on a shaft 16, but is not directly connected thereto.

, For a purpose to be referred to presently, there is a yieldable connection between the gear 15 and shaft 16, which in this instance comprises a combined compression and .tor- S1011 spring 17, one end of which is connected to the hub of gear 15, and the other end being connected to a collar 18 fixed to the shaft by a key or otherwise, but preferably in a manner suchthat it may be adjusted lengthwise of the shaft should it be desired to adjust the compression of the spring 17. It is to be noted at this point that the hub of gear 15 and the collar 18 project toward and substantially to each other just inside of the spring so as to impose a limit on the extent that the spring 1'? may wind up when the driving mechanism is in operation, and it will be noted also that the spring is closely surrounded by a sleeve 19 which limits its expansive or unwinding action. Though the spring transmits driving force or torque from the gear 15 to the shaft 16, it is an important feature of this part of the mechanism that the action of the spring is frictionally controlled, and to this end the hub of the gear has a friction disk 20 which is pressed yieldingly by the spring 17 against a companion friction disk 21 which is secured to the shaft 16, there being between the two friction disks a pad or disk of wear resisting friction material.

The shaft 16 is jonrnaled in a front casting 22 and in a rear casting 23 secured together by screws 24, the rear casting having a part extending up alongside the tub 12, and provided at the top with a boss forming a bearing for the driven shaft 10. The casting 2, and therefore the entire driving and reversing mechanism is designed to be supported on a suitable framework represented by upper and lower angles 25, which are shown alongside the tub 12 in Fig. 1.

The shaft 16 is provided at its inner end with a spur pinion 26 which is fixed to the shaft, and this pinion engages and drives a similar pinion 27 fixed to a shaft 28 which is alongside the shaft 16 and is also sup ported in bearing bosses of the two castings 22 and 23, as shown in Fig. 4. It will be understood that the shaft 16 is constantly rotated in one direction as long as the driving mechanism is in operation, and that the two pinions 26 and 27, and therefore the shafts 16 and 28 rotate in opposite directions but at the same speed. The pinions 26 and 27 are adapted to drive spur pinions 29 and 30 which are slidably mounted on the shafts 16 and 28 in front of the pinions 26 and 27, and these two pinions are adapted to alternately drive in opposite directions a relatively large gear 31 which is fixed to the driven shaft 10.

The manner in which driving engagement is formed between the pinions 26 and 27 and the driven pinions 29 and 30 is an important feature of the invention, and it may be here stated that each pinion 26 and 27 has on its front face a driving lug 32, and that each driven pinion 29 and 30 has on its face adjacent thereto, a lug 33. The two driven pinions are adapted to be simultaneously shifted on their respective supporting shafts. one pinion moving inward while the other is moved outwardly, the arrangement and sliding movement of these pinions on their shaft being such that the lug on one driven pinion is moved into driving engagement with the lug on the associated driving pinion at the same time that the lugs on the other two pinions are moved out of driving engagement. The width of these lugs both on the driving and driven pinions is such that together they occupy a relatively small portion of the circumference, leaving a considerable arcuate space for the purpose of providing a lost motion or backlash of considerable extent to permit a quiet, and what may be termed a shockless driving engagement between the lugs, as will be subsequently explained. t should be mentioned also at this point, that each driving pinion is provided on its driving side with a recess 33 into which the end of the lug 33 of the associated driven pinion is adapted to seat when the lugs are in full driving engagement, so that during the rotation of the driven shaft 10 in either direction, the two lugs will be held in close engagement and an irregular or jerky action which would result from the driven lug running ahead of the driving lug is prevented. ltn other words, when the two lugs are in full driving relationship, relative circumferential movement is prevented, the recesses in size and shape conforming to the lugs. This is illustrated in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of sliding one driven pinion inwardly and at the same time sliding the other pinion outwardly so as to establish driving engagement between one pair of driving and driven pinions, and simultaneously disengaging the pinions of the other pair, a vertically disposed shifter shaft is journaled in a bearing 35 secured to the front casting 22, this shaft being mounted for rocking movement about its axis. This shifter shaft 34 is provided at its lower end with a head 36 provided with a pair of lugs 37 (see Figs. 2 and 6) which engage in annular grooves 38 in the out wardly extended hubs of the driven pinions 29 and 30. It will be understood from this construction that when the shifter shaft 3 1 is rocked from one extreme position to the other, driving engagement between one pair of pinions is established, and the previous driving engagement between the other pair is broken. Likewise, it should be noted that when the shaft is in its neutral or intermediate position, which is shown in the dra vings, both driven pinions are idle and no power is transmitted to gear 31 and driven shaft 10.

The shifter shaft 34; is provided at its upper end with a tumbler piece or flipper 39, on the top surface of which is a lug 39 with a knife edge which is engaged by a strap or link L0 which is connected to one end of a spring 1-1 whose other end is connected to a lug or ear 42 forming a part of a stationary auxiliary frame to be referred to. It will be observed particularly by reference to Fig. 3, that the line of action of this spring passes across the center of flipper 39, when the driven pinions are in neutral or central position, and that if the flipper is moved in one direction or the other from central position, the spring 41 will quickly rock the flipper to either of its extreme positions, which brings one pair of pinions into driving relationship, it beng understood that the flipper is in its neutral or central position only when the driving *it is rocked from one extreme position to the other. v

For the purpose of causing a reversal of the direction of drive, after a predetermined number of revolutions in one direction, i. e. to cause the flipper to be moved from one of its operating positions to the other, 1 provide loosely on the shifter shaft 34 and just beneath the flipper 39, a star wheel 13, and on the outer face of gear 31 I provide a single tooth a l which at each revolution of the gear 31 engages the star wheel and turns it through a portion of a revolution equivalent to one tooth of the star wheel. In other words, as the gear 31 is rotated in one direction, the star wheel will be stepped around in a given direction until reversal takes place when it is stepped around in the opposite direction. This star wheel is provided with an upwardly projecting lug &3 which is adapted to engage a lug 39 on the lower face of the flipper 39 and so positively rock the flipper until the line of action of the spring 41 passes the center of the flipper, whereupon the spring comes into action to throw the flipper to its extreme position with a snap action. It might be mentioned at this point, that the flipper 39 is provided in addition to the upper knife edge lug 39 and the lower lug 39 with a second upper lug 39 which is utilized with the manually operated control mechanism to start the operation of the driving mechanism, and additionally this flipper is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting arms 39 which are on opposite sides of the star wheel as shown in Fig. 6, and are provided at the lower ends beneath the star Wheel with a pair of inwardly projecting lugs with outer flat faces 39 which are in the center plane of the flipper and are designed to be engaged by stop pins to hold the shifter in neutral position, as will be explained shortly.

I will next describe the control through which the driven mechanism is started and stopped at the will of the operator. In the design of this control mechanism I have incorporated several desirable features of construction and operation. including ease, quickness and simplicity of control, simplicity of the controlling mechanism itself, and the elimination of unnecessary parts through which the starting and stopping is broughtabout. These main desirable characteristics are brought about by the provision of separate starting and stopping control members, preferably in the form of push buttons or plungers whose operation is cen tered on the flipper, and which in turn acts on the driven pinions which normally function for driving'and reversing purposes. It

will be seen at once that by the use of'these parts to start and stop the mechanism, there is eliminated the necessity for a separate clutch or equivalent device to throw the driving mechanism into and out of operation. Likewise it will be seen that inasmuch as the control mechanism operates on the flipper and the parts which are controlled by it, it is only necessary for the control mechanism to bring and hold the flipper in central or neutral posit-ion to throw the driving mechanism out of operation, and that it is only necessary for the operator to shift the flipper from its central position when the spring 41 comes into play to bring one of the driven pinions into driving engagement with its associated driving pinion with a snap action and thus instantly start the driving operation.

Taking up now the control mechanism, it will'be observed that this mechanism includes a stopping plunger 4t5 and a starting plunger 1:6 provided at their outer ends withthe equivalent of push buttons 45 and 46 andslidably mounted for endwise movement in a frame 47 secured by screws 48 to a part of the front casting 22, the protruding ends of the push buttons being at one side of the large gear 31 and their plane of movement being parallel to the face of the gear. The inner end of the plunger 45 is adapted to engage the enlarged head of a pin igwhich is normally at one side of the driven shaft 10, as shown in Fig. 2. This pin is mounted for endwise movement in a boss at the top of a rocker 50 which is pivoted between its ends on a pin 51 carried by the frame47. At the lower end of this rocker I provide two adjustable pins 52 which are located opposite the lugs 39 in the flipper, and are so disposed and adjusted that when the rocker 50 is rocked about its axis so that the pins 52 swing inward, they engage the lugs 39 of the flipper and rock it to central position, which as already stated, represents the neutral position of'the driven pinions. To shift the rocker in the manner just stated, I provide on the hub of the driven gear 31, a cam 53 so disposed that when the pin 4:9 is moved inward by the stop plunger 45 of the control mechanism its inner end comes in the path of movement of the. cam 53, where upon the cam rocks the pin and the upper part of the rocker forwardly or outwardly and swings the lower part of the rocker inwardly to shift the flipper to neutral position and thus to cause the driven pinions to be brought to neutral position which stops the driving mechanism.

It is important that the rocker be held in the position just stated, and to that end I provide on the frame at a pivoted latch 54 to which is connected a spring 55 whose outer end is connected to the frame 47 as shown in Fig. 2. The arrangement is such that the line of action of this spring passes across the center line or pivot of the latch 54, so that when the latch is shifted in a given direction and the line of action of the spring passes beyond the center, the latch is moved the remainder of its distance with a snap action. This latch has at its upper end a lug 54 which is so disposed that when the stopping plunger is pushed inward, the flange or head of the pin 49 pushes the lug 54 up against the edge of a lug 50 of rocker 50, and as soon as the upper part of the rocker is swung forwardly through the action of cam 53 on pin 49, the lug 54 snaps behind the lug 50 of the rocker and therefore locks the rocker so as to hold the flipper and the driven pinions in neutral position. It might be mentioned at this point that when this driving mechanism is used to rotate the cylinder of a washing machine the cam 53 is so disposed on the hub of the gear 31 that when the driving mechanism comes to rest the cylinder will stop with the door thereof at the top, as is desirable.

The functions of the starting plunger 46 are to remove the locking lug of the latch from behind the rocker 50, to shift the pin 49 from the path of movement of the cam 53, and then to positively shift the flipper from mid position so that the spring 41 acting on the flipper may with a snap action cause driving engagement between a pair of driving and driven pinions. I therefore provide on the inner end of the plunger 46, a head or lug 56 which slides on the lower arm of frame 47, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. This head is in front of the lower end of latch 54, so that when the plunger is moved inward it swings the latch on its pivot until the spring 45 passes beyond the pivotal center of the latch, whereupon the spring snaps the latch toward the left as the same is viewed in Fig. 2, bringing the lug 54 from behind the rocker 50 and causing it to engage and shift to the left the pin 49, and at the same time to shift to its outer position the stopping push button and stopping plunger 45. Additionally the head 56 is provided with a rod 57 which projects inwardly alongside the flipper, this rod having a downturned portion as shown in Fig. 7, which as the starting plunger 46 is moved inward, comes in contact with the upper lug 89 of the flipper and shifts it off its central or neutral position so that the sprin 41 connected with the flipper may act to throw it to one of its operative positions. During the latter part of the inward movement o the starting plunger 46, the downturned end of the rod 57 which engaged the flipper lug as just stated, is caused to ride up above this lug so as not to interfere with the free movement of the flipper in either direction as long as the starting plunger occupies its innermost position, and to accomplish this I provide on the lower arm of the frame 47 an elevated portion 47 with a tapered part leading up to it, so arranged that the head 56 at the inner end of the plunger will, after the rod 57 has engaged the flipper lug 39 and shifted the flipper from off position to center position, ride up onto this surface, and thus move the inner operative end of the rod 57 out of the path of movement of the flipper lug 39.

It will be seen that when the stopping button is pushed inward, the flipper which controls the sliding movement of the driven pinions 29 and 30 is moved to neutral position with both driven pinions disengaged from the driving pinions, and is automatically held in that position by the action of the latch 54 which locks the lower part of the rocker in position to hold the flipper in its central or neutral position. The inward movement of the stopping plunger, or rather the rocking of the latch 54 by the spring also throws outward the starting plunger and starting push button, as is apparent from Fig. 2, and when the starting button and starting plunger are pushed inward, the stopping button and plunger are moved outward, the rocker 50 is unlatched and the flipper is positively moved from neutral position so that the driving mechanism is in stantly started. In the starting operation the flipper is always moved in one direction from the central or neutral position by the rod 57. In other words, when the driving mechanism is thrown into operation the driven shaft 10 always starts rotating in one direction. This is particularly desirable when the invention is utilized for the purpose of operating a washing machine cylinder, for it makes it possible to arrange the door of the cylinder so that it will automath cally close if left open, by simply hinging the door on the side toward the direction of retation. w

Attention is called to the fact that not only is the shifting of the driven pinions to and from their operative positions, and therefore the reversal of the driving mechanism, produced with a snap action, but the same is true of the starting and stopping of the driving mechanism under the action or control of the push buttons.

Thus it will be seen that when the driving mechanism is in operation, the gear 31, driven shaft 10 and the part connected to it will rotate a given number of revolutions in one direction, when the reversal takes place, and the parts are rotated the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction, where upon a reversal again takes place, this being continued as long as the mechanism is in operation. Ordinarily the engagement of the lug on the pinion which starts the rotation in the reverse direction. with the lug on the driven pinion, takes place without any material shock, but such shock as does occur is absorbed by the combined compression and torsion spring 17 This absence of measurable shock is due in large measure to the fact that in accordance with the present invention the parts are so adjusted that the shifting of the pinions takes place at that point in the cycle of revolution of the driving pinions that the lug on the face of the pinion which is to be driven, comes in behind the lug on the pinion which is to do the driving, so that the lug on the driving pinion passes through the major portion of a revolution before it engages the lug on the driven pinion. Meanwhile, however, the lug on the driven pinion when first shifted inwardly, frictionally engages the face of the driven pinion, and this has the effect of causing a quick stopping of the rotating parts before the reversal of the direction of rotation takes place, and it even has a tendency to start the parts rotating in the reverse'direction before the driving lug .engages the lug on the driven pinion and before it drops into the associated recess 33 at the side of the driving lug.

When the invention is applied to drive the cylinder of a washing machine, the reversal takes place with almost complete absence of shock, for with any load of laundry in the cylinder, the cylinder will reverse almost instantly when the driving power is diseontinued just prior to reversal, so that no energy need be consumed to reverse the cylinder. Furthermore, when the invention is used for the purpose just stated, i. e. for

driving the cylinder of a washing machine,

there is another action which assists materially in producing a smooth, shockless reverse, and that is the fact that when the power is discontinued at the time of reversal, not only does the cylinder quickly stop, but there is an unbalanced load in the cylinder which causes the cylinder to rock in the reverse direction, causing the lug of the driven pinion that will take up the driving, toturn in the same'direction as the lug which will drive it. In other words, the driving lug is required to overtake the lug which it is is to drive.

However, it is not possible by this principle alone, to compensate for all conditions between an empty cylinder and one having a full load, so that it is desirable that between the driving pinion and the motor there should be a yielding device so that when the driving lug engages the lug to be driven, it may fall back slightly and take up its load gradually, spring 17 providing for this action, the lost motion between the lugs before the engagement takes place, and the frictional resistance of the flanges 20 and 21 being such that the torsion in the spring is first reduced to substantially zero, and then builds up to normal when the load is again taken up, though the frictional resistance of the flanges acts as a'governor to control the action of the sprmg so as to prevent any sudden surge or excess movement in either direction.

A further desirable feature might be mentioned, and that is the fact that the lugs- 37 at the bottom of the shifter shaft have practically no rubbing against the walls of the grooves in the hubs of the driven pinions, which would be the case if the lugs were held solidly against the hubs of the pinions by the spring tl of the flipper. To guard against this action I provide on the lower part of the rocker 50 a central arm 50 which comes up against an adjustable abutment or pin 58 which limits the outward movement of the lower end of the rocker 50, and inasmuch as the movement of the flipper as alternately rocked in opposite directions is limited by the engagement of the lower lugs 39 thereof with the inwardly projecting pins 52 carried by the lower part of the rocker, it is obvious that the stop pin 58 can be so adjusted that the lower part of the rocker will be sopositioned that the pull of the flipper spring 41 will be taken up or resisted by this pin 58 just as either lug on the driving pinion is seated in the recess 33 of the driving pinion.

As to the control mechanism, it is clear from the above description, that the driving mechanism is started and stopped by pushing in one button or the other, and that the starting and stopping is brought about by causing a shifting of the pinions which are we normally shifted tobring about a reversal of rotation in the normal operation of the drive mechanism so as to do away with the necessity of a separate disengaging clutch.

It will be seen therefore, that the advan 105 tages enumerated at the beginning of this specification are attained to a very high degree with the mechanism constituting the subject matter of this invention.

While I have shown simply the preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not desire to be confined to the precise details shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a shaft to be driven alternately in opposite directions, a reversing drive mechanism including a driv- 12'0 en gear, a pair of shiftablepinions for alternately driving the same, first in one directionand then the other, means comprising a movably mounted member for simultaneously shifting said pinions in opposite directions, and a spring acting on said member to shift the same with asnap action in either direction.

2. In combination with a shaft to be driven alternately in opposite directions, a driven gear, a pair of pinions engaging the gear and movable along parallel axes, a pair of driving elements rotating in opposite directions and adapted one to drive one pinion and the other to drive the other pinion, means for shifting the pinions simultaneously one in one direction and one in the other, said means including a movably mounted member, and a spring acting on the said member to throw the same with a snap action in either direction.

3. In combination with a shaft to be 'driven, a driven gear on the shaft and adapted to be rotated first in one direction and then the other, a pair of shiftable pinions adapted to be rotated in opposite directions and adapted to alternately drive said gear, means for shifting said pinions simultaneously in opposite directions comprising a movably mounted member, means actuated by the rotation of said gear for moving said member a predetermined amount, and a spring acting on said member to move the same further with a snap action.

4-. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a driven gear on the shaft, a pair of shiftable pinions adapted to be rotated in opposite directions and to alternately drive said gear, and a pinion shifting mechanism comprising a rockable shifter member adapted to sin'iultaneously shift the gears in opposite directions, a star wheel rotating about the axis of the shifter member, means by which the gear turns the star wheel, and means whereby the star wheel when actuated a predetermined amount in each direction actuates the shifter member.

5. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a reversing drive mechanism comprising a driven gear, a pair of pinions each shiftable from driving to nondriving position and adapted to drive said gear alternately in opposite directions, means for rotating said pinions, means for shifting said pinions at intervals whereby first one and then the other becomes the driving agency, and a control mechanism for controlling the starting and stopping of said driving mechanism, said control mechanism acting when operated to cause the driving mechanism to act on said pinions to shift and hold said pinions in nondriving position.

6. In combination with a shaft to be dreven first in one direction and then the other, a reversing drive mechanism comprising a driven gear, a pair of shiftable pinions adapted to drive said gear alternately in opposite directions, means for rotating said pinions, means for shifting said pinions at intervals whereby first one and then the other becomes the driving agency, and a control mechanism for controlling the starting and stopping of said driving mechanism,

said control mechanism acting on said pinions and including a manually movable starting member and a manually movable stopping member, the former serving to cause one of said pinions to drive the gear, and the latter serving to stop the transmission of power between the pinions and gear.

7. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a reversing drive mechanism comprising a gear on the shaft, a pair of pinions engaging said gear to drive the same alternately in opposite directions, power transmitting members for driving said pinions one in one direction and one in the other, means for automatically causing one pinion and then the other to drive the gear so as to reverse the direction of drive, and a control mechanism for starting and stopping the t ansmission of power, and including a manually movable starting member for causing one power transmitting element to drive its associated pinion, and a stopping member serving to discontinue the transmission of power between said power transmitting elements and both pinions.

8. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a reversing drive mechanism comprising a gear on the shaft, a pair of shiftable pinions for driving said member first in one direction and then the other, a control mechanism comprising a pair of endwise movable plungers, and means operated by one of the same to start the transmission of power and by the other to stop the transmission of power.

9. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a gear on said shaft, a pair of pinions for driving said gear first in one direction and then the other, means for driving said pinions, means for automatically causing one and then the other to drive the gear, and a control mechanism comprising a pair of end wise and manually movable members, and a movable shifter member controlled by said members so as to start and stop the transmission of power.

10. In combination with a shaft to be driven first in one direction and then the other, a gear on said shaft, a pair of axially movable pinions engaging said gear, a pair of power transmitting members rotating in opposite directions, means for alternately;

shifting said pinions into engagement with the associated power transmitting members comprising a rockable shifter member engaging both pinions, a spring for shifting said shifter member in either direction, and an abutment for taking the thrust of the spring when the shifter member is in either extreme position with a pinion in driving engagement with its associated power transmitting member.

11. A reversing drive mechanism compristion and including means whereby when the ing a shaft, means for rotating the shaft first driving mechanism is thrown into operation in one direction and then the other, and inthe shaft is always started in the same di- 10 eluding shittable power transmitting elerection. ments which alternatelybecome the driving In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my agency, a control mechanism for throwing signature. the drive mechanism into and out of opera- ARTHUR R. CURTIS. 

